Rules For Engagement

Senior staff members, listen up; the younger generation expects more

By Ron Ciancutti

Since my retirement last year, I have been doing some business consulting with a few small agencies. One of the trends I see emerging is an increasingly disturbing statistic related to retaining newly hired employees. It does seem that new employees place a high priority on their “free time” and are unwilling to sacrifice that for the job—something my peers and predecessors did readily in the past, often to prove our loyalty and dedication (i.e., come in early, leave late, work through lunch, etc.) That type of sacrifice seems long past. Their attitude seems to be that capability at the job is proof enough of their dedication. In short, “I got the job because I am qualified. It is a mutually beneficial deal.”

Photo: © Can Stock Photo / Bialasiewicz

To that end, these employees seem to be treated with greater tolerance in many companies. Much like the formula for handling “difficult” staff members, the way to create a work environment that new employees want needs to include some of the following:

Supervisors need to show a great deal of respect to new staff members. Their lives and interests should be topics to be discussed often. The new age seems to have blurred the lines between personal and company time and “personalities.” In the same way employees might work on a spreadsheet in the evening at home, they may want to show you a video on their phone from last night’s concert or dinner party. Their lives as a whole need to be respected. The supervisor should engage this social side of the employee and open himself/herself up to learning new things and considering different lifestyles. And be sincere. They can smell a phony a mile away.

Understand that the supervisor/employee roles may sometimes seem almost “parental,” and to that end you must make firm decisions that emphasize your strength as a provider/protector they can trust. New staff members are looking for proof of leadership. Be heroic in your support and let them know your decisions are well-grounded and in full consideration of all the people in your work group.

Let consistency be your label. A reputation that allows employees to say, “Well, my boss would never compromise on quality” shows they rely on you and are secretly proud of you. If the approach is right, your people will show signs of trying to be more like you. Integrity becomes contagious. Let that be the cornerstone of your work group. Let people count on the product you are known for.

Don’t act like you never make mistakes. Be ready to admit an error in judgment. Sometimes there is great benefit in accepting some of the blame, even when it isn’t your fault. When an employee is hanging out in the wind, clearly embarrassed or at fault, a supervisor who chimes in with “Well, I should have checked that better because it’s Larry’s first time doing this” rings mighty sweet in Larry’s ear as he suddenly isn’t in the box alone. You will reap a great deal from such a supportive move.

It is critical you allow for the free and open exchange of ideas. An unwillingness to embrace other opinions is a curse to the younger set. It is no different in their minds than being stonewalled by a teacher, counselor, or parent. Set an open environment. Remember that an open door is not really open if you scowl at the person walking in because that entrance just broke your train of thought.

Although the ego seems to be small in this new breed, there is still a great deal of importance to giving credit where it is due. Reward successes appropriately. Now don’t get me wrong; you can’t make everything a resounding round of applause (eventually, it seems cheap if you’re a constant cheerleader), but a few “Atta, boys” can reap major rewards. Mainly, it illustrates you honestly believe success is a product of teamwork. If you take the wins together, you can easily weather the losses.

Of course, even with all that, there is no guarantee this approach will convince an employee to stick around. So, you do the best you can to listen carefully, be consistent, set reasonable consequences, and ensure fairness by consistently following the company’s process to the letter. Deviations from that can cost you personally if it is determined you stepped outside those parameters. So, the challenge is significant. You are trying to appreciate your staff and get close to them, but not too close lest they think you have an ulterior motive. You want to have high expectations and be supportive, yet you can’t give too much praise as it may eventually pit one team member against another. Sounds almost impossible, doesn’t it?

Well, it can be done. The only thing that can really get you in trouble is not being true to your word or the company’s intentions. Be honest and treat new staff with confidence and a sense of intimate trust.

Remember—no matter how hard we try to reinvent the world and interactions between people, it is still a simple case of two people talking. How it is done is where the magic lies.

Ron Ciancutti worked in the parks and recreation industry since he was 16 years old, covering everything from maintenance, operations, engineering, surveying, park management, design, planning, recreation, and finance. He is now retired. He holds a B.S. in Business from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from Baldwin Wallace University. He is not on Facebook, but he can be reached at ron@northstarpubs.com.